Dear Friends
Compliments of the New Year to you all, despite already being in the 2nd month of the year, these wishes come to you all with just as much love, if not more than if it were 6 weeks earlier. There was no Christmas update and mainly because time again ran away from me, and there was just no catching it!! I look back feeling very guilty for not having shared so much of this special time with you all, many people blessed us in amazing ways and it again showed us in reality God's provision for these projects and the Ministries here in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
I must share on one of the blessings which came as a big relief, when one donor gave some funds specifically to be spent on the staff. I was able to go to Botswana with friends and purchase a grocery goodie pack for each staff member, at a time when finances were extremely low and much stretched. Whilst I realise the babies home is a Ministry which should focus on the needs of the babies I have to be honest in my thoughts and share that without the staff compliment the project simply would not function, and so being able to give them something back for a years dedication to the children was important. We would have loved to give them each an annual bonus but funds did not permit and we are thankful for their understanding on this part.
When I look back to December, my heart smiles at how the spirit of giving is revived even in the most difficult financial times. A friend of a friend, of a friend, and her family and friends got together and made up beautiful gifts for each and every child within our project, this did not just include the babies at Isaiah's but also the children of Rehoboth, Windles and the Halfway Home for the children once living on the street. Each gift, appropriately selected for the age of the child, was packed in their own special Christmas bag with some sweets and treats and a lovely time of fellowship was shared with the staff and the children. We trust each of you enjoyed your Christmas, however it was spent we trust the reason for the season was your priority.
So as I look upon 2009, I am grateful for another 365 days full of opportunities to share the love of Christ, and may we focus on our abilities to seize every moment we have.
In 2008, we had two very special additions to our staff compliment at the Babies Home.
Firstly, Jeanette Ncube joined us in July as our Social Welfare Liaison; she comes with the "field experience" and has her hands full tracing the families and histories of our children. She has to deal day in and day out with the Social Welfare Department and this can be a challenge all in itself and so our hats go off to her. She sometimes has to be "the bearer of bad news" but we are glad that Jeanette has the leading of God our Father and with Him alongside her we can only trust "His Will Be Done". She has a special love for all the children, especially the chubby ones!!!
Secondly, in October we were pleased to see Maria Maliki come on board as the Matron of the Home. Sister Maliki, as she is well known to many, has years of nursing experience and it's a relief to have her hands on at every moment. Her firm, caring, loving and laughing personality has brought a new life to our Home and we are thankful that she chose to take care of these precious souls in the special way that she does.
Towards then end of 2008, I was beginning to feel that the remaining days of the year would be spent up and down with children to the Doctors; we had our fair share of illness and spent a number of hours at the Mater Dei Hospital. Now I think back upon that time, and am grateful that we actually had a hospital that we could go to that would accept our children for treatment and be able to settle the bill at a later stage! We don't have that benefit anymore, as the situation in our country worsens so has the provision of essential services deteriorated. The Mater Dei Casualty Unit had a chronic shortage of nursing staff, not to mention the lack of necessary provisions to maintain such a facility and as a result they have had to close, thus leaving us with only one other private facility. The local hospitals pretty much have run on bear minimum forever and whilst it is an option for treatment it is the last resort option. The only advantage to the local hospital is that there are good paediatricians who attend there, if you have to go then you have to be prepared to take literally everything.
In December, through the Our Neighbours Ministry, we assisted a young lady and her one year old baby. She was a single parent without a job, no place to stay and most of her possessions had been sold by the person she had trusted to take care of them. She has had a history of depression and her relationship with family was restrained, so through prayer, love and guidance we are helping her regain her self confidence and her life. One morning in early January as I approached our offices I was stopped by a gentleman working in the next building and asked if I knew anyone looking for a job as he was in need of a receptionist. Straight away I was reminded of Tamara, and whilst I could not fully recommend her, I suggested her and to cut a long story short, she went that afternoon for the interview and started work the following day. We offered to take care of her baby whilst she sought a place in day-care for him. Baby Joshua took ill a few days after she began her new job, this clearly a spiritual attack upon her as she had begun to regain her life. Despite us trying to rehydrate him at home his condition did not improve and we were left with no alternative but to have him admitted to Galan House, the only casualty facility at the time other than Mpilo Hospital. The costs of this facility are very high but at this point it seemed the only option available for Baby Josh, sometimes we feel it's not about the cost but about the care and we know God will always provide for His work, we trust Him to do this. Mrs Maliki struggled with the Nurse for hours to insert a cannular and eventually they managed to get a vain in Joshua's head. The rehydration went well so the drip was removed; however he did not seem to overcome the lethargy so he was kept in. Having spent 3 nights at Galan House with only a slight improvement the nurse suggested we transfer him to Mpilo where he could been seen by a Specialist. We did this late on Friday night and again we struggled for hours to find another vein in the end being left no option but to insert a feeding tube. Thankfully Mrs Maliki was present to do this as the nurse there seemed reluctant stating his condition was too weak. Josh was released from Mpilo after 4 days as his condition was slowly improving, the vomiting had stopped and his temperature had normalised. Tamara's boss was very accommodating during this time and allowed her 10 days off with her sick child, when he was released from hospital we insisted she stay at the Babies Home where he could be monitored and assisted by other staff when necessary. It has been a week now and Josh is still very weak showing only little signs of improvement. Last night he had another temperature rise and today we have noticed his hands and feet are swollen, we are not certain of what may have caused this so tomorrow we will take him to the Doctor for further review. We would ask you to pray with us now for Joshua's restoration of health and for strength and comfort for his mother in these difficult times.
We held a blessing ceremony for the babies, the staff and the home on the 29th January and as I shared there, it is as though God has hand picked the very best of all his children and given us the privilege of caring for each one of them. Pastor Ray gave us a special message using the Prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4 vs 9&10 "Jabez was more honourable than his brothers, His mother had named him Jabez saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. It was an amazing message where the significance of the name Jabez being "sorrow and pain" gives a strike against him from the day he enters the world, yet he refuses to accept that strike. Instead he demands more than the sad heritage his family offered him and he claims a blessing from God "I want your blessing... Nourish and grow me beyond my present situation, direct me with your powerful hand and help me to rise up above my painful, depressing past" and God did just that! The significance for us working in the project was that even though these children of ours have had a rough start to life, in asking God's blessing upon them they will nourish and grow beyond these circumstances!! Beautiful and all God's people say "AMEN”!! Pastor Levi Masuku blessed the home and all that s within it, whilst Eileen thanked God for the many hands who make the work light! This was such a special day for all present.
So onto our babies now... each one of them is growing rapidly and each with their own character.
Sarah and Davis are both in the process of being fostered and no longer stay at the Home. Also being fostered is Taponeswa and as you can see in his picture his growth shows that this home surely agrees with him!! Junior pops into the home every now and again and it's very difficult to capture him on the camera, he does not like his picture being taken at all, he'd much rather be playing in the toy room or out in the garden. Bheki is also one of the babies being fostered and he has joined his 8 other siblings at Rehoboth with Dorcas and Mark!
Nomalanga is now the oldest of the children at Isaiah's. Her father has recently expressed interest in reuniting with her and we are working with the family to do what is in the best interests of Noma. My heart aches at the thought of Noma being taken from the home but I do trust that she is a child of God and all the plans He has for her are to prosper her and not to harm her so again we commit all of this in prayer and know that God will be done!
Pride continues to make steady progress and growth. He is beginning to talk now and can identify people by name; he does this repeatedly which is kinda cute. His father recently returned to their rural home to try and get their mother to return home however there was a family altercation and he returned back to Bulawayo without her. His love for his wife and his children is unquestionable as he continues to visit Pride weekly. He earns a meagre salary and is finding it exceedingly difficult to provide for his other two children, please pray for Pride's dad - Runesu.
Ruth doesn't seem to grow any taller but is known to keep the children in check! Her mother who lives in Gwanda was here to visit her this weekend. Her extended family are keen to have mother and child reunited however this process will take some time. We have to be certain that this is her mother's desire too and not a pressured decision!
Bridget now has the biggest smile out and it's beautiful to see, especially considering as a young baby her smiles were very few and far between. Bridget is leader of the pack to walk and talk! Her vocab has become more varied now and she chatters off to anyone who will listen.
Amanda - Mimi - Zuvarashe has become our little nonsense - always ready to challenge! She loves to do exactly that which she knows she should not be doing just to see the reaction she will get! She copies just about every phrase spoken, and is quick to climb up wherever she can. The other day she was spotted climbing onto the table and then danced to the music playing in the background - all we could do was laugh at her!
Sibusiso has settled well back into the home, he had been taken for fostering however the tough economic circumstances of our country has forced his foster mother to return to cross border trading. Unfortunately that set-up is not conjuducive to a young growing baby, as he is unable to travel with her until the adoption is finalised. He had previously been left in the care of a younger sister however she was now unable to provide for him and had no alternative but to return him to the Home.
Prince joined the "walking" group before his first birthday in early January; he is a little monster always dashing about the home up to no good, keeping the staff on their toes. He likes to be out in the garden with Taurai, our yard worker, preferably playing in the dirt or in water.
Caleb has recovered from his recent chest complaints and is now crawling about all over the home. You have to watch anything left lying about as in no time at all he will be getting stuck into whatever he can. He loves to be thrown up and about and has a very deep chuckle when tickled. His bottom teeth are now through and looks like his top two are not far behind.
Mthandazo is doing well. He has a slight squint and loves to try focus on his hands, he spends quite a while looking at them, moving his fingers about. He is very ticklish and his smile is contagious, he chuckles when tickled. Mthandazo's mother passed away just after he was born and his father is unknown to the family, however he has a loving grandfather who though unemployed every month brings him a small package of soap, aqueous cream and an item of clothing. It's little "acts of love" like that which mean so much!!!
Daniel Praise is such a happy little fellow, he makes all kinds of baby sounds and loves to be spoken to, and as long as he can see a presence of people he is happy.
Shamiso is one of our recent additions to the home, she was brought to Bulawayo by the Beitbridge Police and it is suspected that her mother must have been a border jumper as she was left close to the border in a bush. On her arrival she did not like to be left alone at all but she seems to be settling now and smiles a lot, she has one of the biggest smiles ever and is generally a very happy baby. She was well nourished and is a very chubby baby.
Craig Siphobenkosi was brought to the home two weeks after his mother had passed away. His extended family were unable to feed and care for him and he was in a much compromised state on his arrival. He was not feeding well at all and one Sunday we anointed him and prayed for him and within a few days his feeding habits picked up dramatically. He is making steady progress and now 2 and a half months old, he is beginning to smile and has realised he can cry for attention. He has beautiful big brown eyes and little round cheeks like that of a squirrel hiding his food!
In December we received 4 abandoned baby girls from Mpilo Hospital. There was Blessing, Jessica, Nobuhle and then Faith. As we had 6 babies under the age of 3 months our staff were pressurised as all of these babies required extra care and attention. Blessing had a slight skin condition which has been treated whilst Nobuhle and Jessica both were very weak feeders. Faith was slightly bigger in size to the other three girls so she had a slight advantage. A granny of one of our volunteers expressed an interest in helping with the small babies and offered to take one of the girls home for the first week. Let's just say she fell in love with Nobuhle and the little girl has spent over a month with her. Nobuhle has a beautiful head of soft curly black hair and has been given the nick name of Topsy, a resemblance of a doll granny once owned as a child! Already there is a strong bond between granny and baby and although she receives the attention any baby should have granny does not spoil her totally as she is aware that sometimes she has to come back to the home and won't always have total undivided attention. Jessica, a tall and slim baby with light complexion, is now picking up well.
Mthabisi is our most recent male addition to the home being placed into our care early January after being found under a tree in one of the high density areas of Bulawayo. He spent a few days at Mpilo Hospital before coming to us. He has gained a fair amount of weight and is doing considerably well; he has a good set of lungs which has the staff back on their toes.
So that's the update on all our children and the recent happenings at the Home. Thank you all for your prayers, support and encouragement in 2008 and we look forward to another year taking care of God's precious children. If there is any way in which you feel compelled to assist us and/or would like further information, please feel free to drop me a line and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you all for being the special part of this project that each one of you are.
God bless, Luv 'n' friendship in the Lord always
Sis'Bee
Compliments of the New Year to you all, despite already being in the 2nd month of the year, these wishes come to you all with just as much love, if not more than if it were 6 weeks earlier. There was no Christmas update and mainly because time again ran away from me, and there was just no catching it!! I look back feeling very guilty for not having shared so much of this special time with you all, many people blessed us in amazing ways and it again showed us in reality God's provision for these projects and the Ministries here in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
I must share on one of the blessings which came as a big relief, when one donor gave some funds specifically to be spent on the staff. I was able to go to Botswana with friends and purchase a grocery goodie pack for each staff member, at a time when finances were extremely low and much stretched. Whilst I realise the babies home is a Ministry which should focus on the needs of the babies I have to be honest in my thoughts and share that without the staff compliment the project simply would not function, and so being able to give them something back for a years dedication to the children was important. We would have loved to give them each an annual bonus but funds did not permit and we are thankful for their understanding on this part.
When I look back to December, my heart smiles at how the spirit of giving is revived even in the most difficult financial times. A friend of a friend, of a friend, and her family and friends got together and made up beautiful gifts for each and every child within our project, this did not just include the babies at Isaiah's but also the children of Rehoboth, Windles and the Halfway Home for the children once living on the street. Each gift, appropriately selected for the age of the child, was packed in their own special Christmas bag with some sweets and treats and a lovely time of fellowship was shared with the staff and the children. We trust each of you enjoyed your Christmas, however it was spent we trust the reason for the season was your priority.
So as I look upon 2009, I am grateful for another 365 days full of opportunities to share the love of Christ, and may we focus on our abilities to seize every moment we have.
In 2008, we had two very special additions to our staff compliment at the Babies Home.
Firstly, Jeanette Ncube joined us in July as our Social Welfare Liaison; she comes with the "field experience" and has her hands full tracing the families and histories of our children. She has to deal day in and day out with the Social Welfare Department and this can be a challenge all in itself and so our hats go off to her. She sometimes has to be "the bearer of bad news" but we are glad that Jeanette has the leading of God our Father and with Him alongside her we can only trust "His Will Be Done". She has a special love for all the children, especially the chubby ones!!!
Secondly, in October we were pleased to see Maria Maliki come on board as the Matron of the Home. Sister Maliki, as she is well known to many, has years of nursing experience and it's a relief to have her hands on at every moment. Her firm, caring, loving and laughing personality has brought a new life to our Home and we are thankful that she chose to take care of these precious souls in the special way that she does.
Towards then end of 2008, I was beginning to feel that the remaining days of the year would be spent up and down with children to the Doctors; we had our fair share of illness and spent a number of hours at the Mater Dei Hospital. Now I think back upon that time, and am grateful that we actually had a hospital that we could go to that would accept our children for treatment and be able to settle the bill at a later stage! We don't have that benefit anymore, as the situation in our country worsens so has the provision of essential services deteriorated. The Mater Dei Casualty Unit had a chronic shortage of nursing staff, not to mention the lack of necessary provisions to maintain such a facility and as a result they have had to close, thus leaving us with only one other private facility. The local hospitals pretty much have run on bear minimum forever and whilst it is an option for treatment it is the last resort option. The only advantage to the local hospital is that there are good paediatricians who attend there, if you have to go then you have to be prepared to take literally everything.
In December, through the Our Neighbours Ministry, we assisted a young lady and her one year old baby. She was a single parent without a job, no place to stay and most of her possessions had been sold by the person she had trusted to take care of them. She has had a history of depression and her relationship with family was restrained, so through prayer, love and guidance we are helping her regain her self confidence and her life. One morning in early January as I approached our offices I was stopped by a gentleman working in the next building and asked if I knew anyone looking for a job as he was in need of a receptionist. Straight away I was reminded of Tamara, and whilst I could not fully recommend her, I suggested her and to cut a long story short, she went that afternoon for the interview and started work the following day. We offered to take care of her baby whilst she sought a place in day-care for him. Baby Joshua took ill a few days after she began her new job, this clearly a spiritual attack upon her as she had begun to regain her life. Despite us trying to rehydrate him at home his condition did not improve and we were left with no alternative but to have him admitted to Galan House, the only casualty facility at the time other than Mpilo Hospital. The costs of this facility are very high but at this point it seemed the only option available for Baby Josh, sometimes we feel it's not about the cost but about the care and we know God will always provide for His work, we trust Him to do this. Mrs Maliki struggled with the Nurse for hours to insert a cannular and eventually they managed to get a vain in Joshua's head. The rehydration went well so the drip was removed; however he did not seem to overcome the lethargy so he was kept in. Having spent 3 nights at Galan House with only a slight improvement the nurse suggested we transfer him to Mpilo where he could been seen by a Specialist. We did this late on Friday night and again we struggled for hours to find another vein in the end being left no option but to insert a feeding tube. Thankfully Mrs Maliki was present to do this as the nurse there seemed reluctant stating his condition was too weak. Josh was released from Mpilo after 4 days as his condition was slowly improving, the vomiting had stopped and his temperature had normalised. Tamara's boss was very accommodating during this time and allowed her 10 days off with her sick child, when he was released from hospital we insisted she stay at the Babies Home where he could be monitored and assisted by other staff when necessary. It has been a week now and Josh is still very weak showing only little signs of improvement. Last night he had another temperature rise and today we have noticed his hands and feet are swollen, we are not certain of what may have caused this so tomorrow we will take him to the Doctor for further review. We would ask you to pray with us now for Joshua's restoration of health and for strength and comfort for his mother in these difficult times.
We held a blessing ceremony for the babies, the staff and the home on the 29th January and as I shared there, it is as though God has hand picked the very best of all his children and given us the privilege of caring for each one of them. Pastor Ray gave us a special message using the Prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4 vs 9&10 "Jabez was more honourable than his brothers, His mother had named him Jabez saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. It was an amazing message where the significance of the name Jabez being "sorrow and pain" gives a strike against him from the day he enters the world, yet he refuses to accept that strike. Instead he demands more than the sad heritage his family offered him and he claims a blessing from God "I want your blessing... Nourish and grow me beyond my present situation, direct me with your powerful hand and help me to rise up above my painful, depressing past" and God did just that! The significance for us working in the project was that even though these children of ours have had a rough start to life, in asking God's blessing upon them they will nourish and grow beyond these circumstances!! Beautiful and all God's people say "AMEN”!! Pastor Levi Masuku blessed the home and all that s within it, whilst Eileen thanked God for the many hands who make the work light! This was such a special day for all present.
So onto our babies now... each one of them is growing rapidly and each with their own character.
Sarah and Davis are both in the process of being fostered and no longer stay at the Home. Also being fostered is Taponeswa and as you can see in his picture his growth shows that this home surely agrees with him!! Junior pops into the home every now and again and it's very difficult to capture him on the camera, he does not like his picture being taken at all, he'd much rather be playing in the toy room or out in the garden. Bheki is also one of the babies being fostered and he has joined his 8 other siblings at Rehoboth with Dorcas and Mark!
Nomalanga is now the oldest of the children at Isaiah's. Her father has recently expressed interest in reuniting with her and we are working with the family to do what is in the best interests of Noma. My heart aches at the thought of Noma being taken from the home but I do trust that she is a child of God and all the plans He has for her are to prosper her and not to harm her so again we commit all of this in prayer and know that God will be done!
Pride continues to make steady progress and growth. He is beginning to talk now and can identify people by name; he does this repeatedly which is kinda cute. His father recently returned to their rural home to try and get their mother to return home however there was a family altercation and he returned back to Bulawayo without her. His love for his wife and his children is unquestionable as he continues to visit Pride weekly. He earns a meagre salary and is finding it exceedingly difficult to provide for his other two children, please pray for Pride's dad - Runesu.
Ruth doesn't seem to grow any taller but is known to keep the children in check! Her mother who lives in Gwanda was here to visit her this weekend. Her extended family are keen to have mother and child reunited however this process will take some time. We have to be certain that this is her mother's desire too and not a pressured decision!
Bridget now has the biggest smile out and it's beautiful to see, especially considering as a young baby her smiles were very few and far between. Bridget is leader of the pack to walk and talk! Her vocab has become more varied now and she chatters off to anyone who will listen.
Amanda - Mimi - Zuvarashe has become our little nonsense - always ready to challenge! She loves to do exactly that which she knows she should not be doing just to see the reaction she will get! She copies just about every phrase spoken, and is quick to climb up wherever she can. The other day she was spotted climbing onto the table and then danced to the music playing in the background - all we could do was laugh at her!
Sibusiso has settled well back into the home, he had been taken for fostering however the tough economic circumstances of our country has forced his foster mother to return to cross border trading. Unfortunately that set-up is not conjuducive to a young growing baby, as he is unable to travel with her until the adoption is finalised. He had previously been left in the care of a younger sister however she was now unable to provide for him and had no alternative but to return him to the Home.
Prince joined the "walking" group before his first birthday in early January; he is a little monster always dashing about the home up to no good, keeping the staff on their toes. He likes to be out in the garden with Taurai, our yard worker, preferably playing in the dirt or in water.
Caleb has recovered from his recent chest complaints and is now crawling about all over the home. You have to watch anything left lying about as in no time at all he will be getting stuck into whatever he can. He loves to be thrown up and about and has a very deep chuckle when tickled. His bottom teeth are now through and looks like his top two are not far behind.
Mthandazo is doing well. He has a slight squint and loves to try focus on his hands, he spends quite a while looking at them, moving his fingers about. He is very ticklish and his smile is contagious, he chuckles when tickled. Mthandazo's mother passed away just after he was born and his father is unknown to the family, however he has a loving grandfather who though unemployed every month brings him a small package of soap, aqueous cream and an item of clothing. It's little "acts of love" like that which mean so much!!!
Daniel Praise is such a happy little fellow, he makes all kinds of baby sounds and loves to be spoken to, and as long as he can see a presence of people he is happy.
Shamiso is one of our recent additions to the home, she was brought to Bulawayo by the Beitbridge Police and it is suspected that her mother must have been a border jumper as she was left close to the border in a bush. On her arrival she did not like to be left alone at all but she seems to be settling now and smiles a lot, she has one of the biggest smiles ever and is generally a very happy baby. She was well nourished and is a very chubby baby.
Craig Siphobenkosi was brought to the home two weeks after his mother had passed away. His extended family were unable to feed and care for him and he was in a much compromised state on his arrival. He was not feeding well at all and one Sunday we anointed him and prayed for him and within a few days his feeding habits picked up dramatically. He is making steady progress and now 2 and a half months old, he is beginning to smile and has realised he can cry for attention. He has beautiful big brown eyes and little round cheeks like that of a squirrel hiding his food!
In December we received 4 abandoned baby girls from Mpilo Hospital. There was Blessing, Jessica, Nobuhle and then Faith. As we had 6 babies under the age of 3 months our staff were pressurised as all of these babies required extra care and attention. Blessing had a slight skin condition which has been treated whilst Nobuhle and Jessica both were very weak feeders. Faith was slightly bigger in size to the other three girls so she had a slight advantage. A granny of one of our volunteers expressed an interest in helping with the small babies and offered to take one of the girls home for the first week. Let's just say she fell in love with Nobuhle and the little girl has spent over a month with her. Nobuhle has a beautiful head of soft curly black hair and has been given the nick name of Topsy, a resemblance of a doll granny once owned as a child! Already there is a strong bond between granny and baby and although she receives the attention any baby should have granny does not spoil her totally as she is aware that sometimes she has to come back to the home and won't always have total undivided attention. Jessica, a tall and slim baby with light complexion, is now picking up well.
Mthabisi is our most recent male addition to the home being placed into our care early January after being found under a tree in one of the high density areas of Bulawayo. He spent a few days at Mpilo Hospital before coming to us. He has gained a fair amount of weight and is doing considerably well; he has a good set of lungs which has the staff back on their toes.
So that's the update on all our children and the recent happenings at the Home. Thank you all for your prayers, support and encouragement in 2008 and we look forward to another year taking care of God's precious children. If there is any way in which you feel compelled to assist us and/or would like further information, please feel free to drop me a line and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you all for being the special part of this project that each one of you are.
God bless, Luv 'n' friendship in the Lord always
Sis'Bee
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